This presentation will examine Capella's use of WebCT to create a “bifurcated” course, the content of which is based on two levels of student expertise and knowledge. Specifically, the presentation will examine how a course design can deliver content within each unit to support students with different skill sets, while converging the students by the end of the course to achieve the course outcomes and objectives.

Ideally, a method of instruction should allow students who have previously mastered a subject to delve deeper into the content or a related or possibly different topic. Capella courses are designed around weekly units (learning modules). A bifurcated course provides students with two possible paths of study within each unit.

Within each unit, an “assessment” determines the student's learning path. Course designers do not need to limit the assessment to a “pretest.” Instead, the assessment might be based on a number of factors, such as: student interest; student performance on previous units; an oral discussion between the student and instructor; student career objectives; and so on.

The initial bifurcated courses at Capella will essentially provide a “basic” and an “advanced” path within each unit. Depending on a student's skill set, it is possible that a student may follow a mix of basic and advanced paths as the student completes the course.

The presentation will examine how Capella implemented the bifurcated model, how the model appears to the student, and the facilitator's role in managing the bifurcated course.